honorable and he would protect you with his life."
Yes, but would he love me with all his heart? Martina's heart squeezed at the same time that she was touched by Jonathan's comments. "Are you his PR man?"
"He doesn't need one," Jonathan said. "Sometimes people get themselves in situations where they don't see straight."
"Are you suggesting that I can't see straight?"
"I'm suggesting that you're in a situation where it might be hard for you to see Noah clearly."
She took a careful breath. "I know he's a good man. He's probably a wonderful man, but your family and my family…" She lifted her shoulders.
Jonathan nodded. "Yeah. Bad music between the Logans and Coltranes for a long time. Of course, us Coltranes have been fighting our bad rep since we were born. That black-sheep stuff gets old when all you want to do is ask a girl to dance, let alone try to court her. Gideon says we're all going to have to import brides like they did in the Old West," Jonathan said. "Gideon has a great imagination. We were able to send him to college, and he has a decent head for business, but we're beginning to think he majored in girls and frat parties."
"Why didn't you go to college?" Martina asked.
"I did the rodeo." He cocked his head to one side. "That's how I got the limp. Adam would give his eye teeth for a degree. He's always reading. We call him Abe Lincoln when he's not around."
This was the first extended conversation Martina had ever had with any of the Coltrane brothers, and she found herself hungry for more information. "Why doesn't Adam get his degree?"
"He can't leave the ranch. He's the cattle expert."
"But he doesn't have to leave. He could earn a degree on-line." Martina pointed to her computer.
Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?" He walked closer to her. "We had this foreman who taught all of us how to fence," he said.
"Zachary," Martina said.
Surprise shot through his eyes. "Yeah. He kept us from ending up in jail, and he was always telling us that we should never stop learning."
"And how do you keep learning?"
He looked self-conscious. "I like music. I listen to classical stuff a lot."
"Do you play piano or…?"
"I never had lessons."
"Me, neither. My mother played and taught both my brothers, but she died when I was born, and my father didn't want anyone touching the piano after she was gone." Martina stopped, surprised at how easy it was to reveal something so personal to a stranger. A Coltrane, at that.
He looked at her with a hint of understanding in his eyes, then shook his head. "We always thought the Logans had it perfect, but I guess everybody has their problems." He glanced beyond her out the window. "Here he comes. He's gonna feel like a piece of tobacco that's been chewed and spit out."
Martina looked out the window, spotting Noah walk, with a slight limp, toward the house.
"He's a good man, Martina. You could do worse for your baby."
Her heart tightened. "I know, but there's more to it than the fact that he's a good man."
"The Coltranes and Logans have been making bad music for a long time. Maybe it's time to change the tune."
Martina remained silent and torn. Even if they could put all the bad blood between their families in the past, Martina wasn't sure she could spend the rest of her life trying to make another man love her.
----
Chapter 9
« ^ »
" I need you to stay," Noah said the following night just as Martina started to leave his bedroom.
She turned back to face him, wishing for the hundredth time that he would wear a shirt so her gaze wouldn't wander to his broad shoulders and muscular chest. She was never unaware of the physical power of his masculinity. She was beginning to feel as if she was fighting a landslide by fighting her involvement with Noah. How could she remain close to him and continue to tell herself she didn't want him, mind, body and heart?
Keeping her gaze above his throat didn't help, she thought. His eyes did things to her. They always had.
Yes, but would he love me with all his heart? Martina's heart squeezed at the same time that she was touched by Jonathan's comments. "Are you his PR man?"
"He doesn't need one," Jonathan said. "Sometimes people get themselves in situations where they don't see straight."
"Are you suggesting that I can't see straight?"
"I'm suggesting that you're in a situation where it might be hard for you to see Noah clearly."
She took a careful breath. "I know he's a good man. He's probably a wonderful man, but your family and my family…" She lifted her shoulders.
Jonathan nodded. "Yeah. Bad music between the Logans and Coltranes for a long time. Of course, us Coltranes have been fighting our bad rep since we were born. That black-sheep stuff gets old when all you want to do is ask a girl to dance, let alone try to court her. Gideon says we're all going to have to import brides like they did in the Old West," Jonathan said. "Gideon has a great imagination. We were able to send him to college, and he has a decent head for business, but we're beginning to think he majored in girls and frat parties."
"Why didn't you go to college?" Martina asked.
"I did the rodeo." He cocked his head to one side. "That's how I got the limp. Adam would give his eye teeth for a degree. He's always reading. We call him Abe Lincoln when he's not around."
This was the first extended conversation Martina had ever had with any of the Coltrane brothers, and she found herself hungry for more information. "Why doesn't Adam get his degree?"
"He can't leave the ranch. He's the cattle expert."
"But he doesn't have to leave. He could earn a degree on-line." Martina pointed to her computer.
Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?" He walked closer to her. "We had this foreman who taught all of us how to fence," he said.
"Zachary," Martina said.
Surprise shot through his eyes. "Yeah. He kept us from ending up in jail, and he was always telling us that we should never stop learning."
"And how do you keep learning?"
He looked self-conscious. "I like music. I listen to classical stuff a lot."
"Do you play piano or…?"
"I never had lessons."
"Me, neither. My mother played and taught both my brothers, but she died when I was born, and my father didn't want anyone touching the piano after she was gone." Martina stopped, surprised at how easy it was to reveal something so personal to a stranger. A Coltrane, at that.
He looked at her with a hint of understanding in his eyes, then shook his head. "We always thought the Logans had it perfect, but I guess everybody has their problems." He glanced beyond her out the window. "Here he comes. He's gonna feel like a piece of tobacco that's been chewed and spit out."
Martina looked out the window, spotting Noah walk, with a slight limp, toward the house.
"He's a good man, Martina. You could do worse for your baby."
Her heart tightened. "I know, but there's more to it than the fact that he's a good man."
"The Coltranes and Logans have been making bad music for a long time. Maybe it's time to change the tune."
Martina remained silent and torn. Even if they could put all the bad blood between their families in the past, Martina wasn't sure she could spend the rest of her life trying to make another man love her.
----
Chapter 9
« ^ »
" I need you to stay," Noah said the following night just as Martina started to leave his bedroom.
She turned back to face him, wishing for the hundredth time that he would wear a shirt so her gaze wouldn't wander to his broad shoulders and muscular chest. She was never unaware of the physical power of his masculinity. She was beginning to feel as if she was fighting a landslide by fighting her involvement with Noah. How could she remain close to him and continue to tell herself she didn't want him, mind, body and heart?
Keeping her gaze above his throat didn't help, she thought. His eyes did things to her. They always had.
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